GUESTLIST
2017 / ISSUE 103
13
GUESTLIST
On the other side of the world in China,
however, things were taking a much darker
turn as millions of people faced starvation.
Although partly due to natural disasters
such as drought so the farmers could no
longer grow enough crops for people to
eat, the other reason that so many people
died is a much more sinister one.
In 1959, China announced that the
political movement, 'A Great Leap
Forward' would mean that workers would
drop everything in order to produce steel
to make money for a metal industry very
successful at the time. People were forced
to eat together in housing and grain was
taken away by the government to sell
overseas. The citizens believed that there
was no food and so slowly but surely
began to starve to death.
During this time those in power began to
treat peasants in horrendous ways as those
who tried to escape the houses were sent
to labour camps. People began to write
letters begging for help and there were
reports of people being tortured, urinated
on and even stories of those who stole
food being made to eat human waste.
Others were beaten to death and the
starvation became so bad, that families
turned to eating each other and parts of
their own bodies.
From the years 1958-1962, 36 million
people died from starvation whilst a
further 40 million people 'failed to be
born'. All whilst those in charge drank
expensive alcohol and ate lavish food.
One of the worst points about this point
in history is that there is still a huge portrait
of the leader at the time, Chairman Mao. It
hangs over the gates of Beijing's forbidden
city in what is meant to be a reminder of
the great leadership he bestowed upon
China.
However, for many Chinese citizens it is
a remembrance of what is now thought to
be the worst famine in human history.
In the UK, the late 1950's and early 1960's were known for
a time when the economy was on the rise after the war.
Rock 'n' roll music was breaking boundaries and the first
generation of teenagers were being created.
THE STORY OF THE WORST
FAMINE IN HISTORY - 'THE GREAT
CHINESE FAMINE'
BAD HISTORY
